Junebug about positive music

Nick Wosika wasn’t too keen on joining Junebug at first.

“It’s not the best rock band name,” he said.

Due to his love of music, however, the bass player eventually got over his complex.

“Now it’s for better or for worse,” Wosika said.

Drawing on many influences from numerous genres including psychedelic, funk, grunge, classic rock, reggae and country, high school friends Anthony Bergman, Tony Kollman and Dustin Marks formed Junebug 12 years ago in Jamestown, ND.

How the band settled on its name is a little more interesting, though.

“We were just kids, tinking around in a basement trying to think of a band name,” Kollman said. “We couldn’t come up with much — just silly names high school kids might think up.”

Bergman thought of an episode of “Full House” he had seen, where a gangster was named Junebug.

Kollman and Marks weren’t quite sure. They thought it was kind of “puff” sounding.

“About a half hour later, I said, ‘Junebug is kind of growing on me,’” Kollman said. “Anthony said, ‘On second thought, I don’t like it.’”

But, at the end of the night, the three decided to go with the name until they thought of something better.

They never did.

While Junebug was just playing for fun in Jamestown, the three later moved to Aberdeen, SD.

“Four years ago, we decided to see what we could do with it if we actually tried,” Kollman said. “So, we started putting shows together in South Dakota and just had fun with it.”

But, the trio decided they wanted to take it a step further and move to a city with a stronger music scene.

After making the move to Minneapolis, Wosika joined the band, and there has been no looking back.

Now, the four-piece band will be showcasing their love for music at Murphy’s in Arnolds Park on Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15.

“Expect high energy and expect to have a good time,” Kollman said. “We are all about having fun and being positive. People will have a great time. It should be a pretty high energy show.”


The Isles:
Joining Junebug at Murphy’s Aug. 14-15 will be fellow Minneapolis-based band The Isles.

Drawing on a group of individuals that all come from different musical backgrounds and experiences, The Isles was formed on a jam session whim and has skyrocketed into a Midwest success story.

“It’s been a blast,” said band member Todd Douglas.

While Douglas said each of The Isles’ songs has a different feel — from G Love to Dave Matthews to Incubus — the band’s overall sound could be classified as a cross between alternative rock and hip hop.

So, what should patrons of Murphy’s expect from The Isles?

“Something a little different in each song,” Douglas said. “Some might be reggae, some might be funk, some might be rock and some might be hip hop.”

And, Douglas expects all in attendance to be ready to have a very enjoyable outing.

“Be ready to dance and party,” he said. “We’re definitely a party band.”


The Bands:
Junebug:
Anthony Bergman, guitar; lead vocals
Tony Kollman, drums; backing vocals
Dustin Marks, guitar; backing vocals
Nick Wosika, bass

The Isles:
Chris Butts, rhyme and motion
Todd Douglas, guitar and vocals
Anna Wosika, vocals
Travis Lorentson, bass
Nimo the Hooligan, turn tables and samples
DJ Rickerd, drums


At a Glance:
What: Junebug and The Isles
Where: Murphy’s, 129 W. Broadway St., Arnolds Park
When: 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15
Contact: (712) 332-6111
Online: www.myspace.com/junebugx or www.myspace.com/theislesmusic

This article appeared in the August 8, 2009 edition of DISCOVER! Magazine.